The awful level-up system and vast number of unfixed bugs prevent me from giving this game a perfect score. Don't let that dissuade you, though - it's a fantastic game which provided me with over 100 hours of gameplay before I became even remotely bored.

I can't really give it anything less after putting 100+ hours into it and enjoying every minute of it. of course it does have some flaws including repetitive dungeons, not rewarding exploration enough, bad levelling system and game play bugs. overall it is a fantastic game.

Honestly, I don't understand most of the negative criticism for this game. A HUGE improvement on TES3: Morrowind in terms of combat and atmosphere. Combat is much more engaging, as it should be for this style of game. Quests are entertaining and tough enemies are very challenging (until you are extremely high level). Coupled with a do-anything-you-want style world, this game willHonestly, I don't understand most of the negative criticism for this game. A HUGE improvement on TES3: Morrowind in terms of combat and atmosphere. Combat is much more engaging, as it should be for this style of game. Quests are entertaining and tough enemies are very challenging (until you are extremely high level). Coupled with a do-anything-you-want style world, this game will entertain for hours. My only complaint is that it ended so soon. The world is much smaller than its predecessor, Morrowind. Players of that game will find the world somewhat confining, and you definitely won't get the 500+ hours of gameplay like you did in that title. An awesome game, though. Can't wait for TES V!…Expand

You will love or hate this game and one factor will determine which of the 2 it will be and that is if you mind a game lacking structure and be exceptionally open ended if you want a strong coherent story that is in any way linear this is not your game. However if you do not mind going so far as to even completely abandon even the main quest line for a while this is your game you can spendYou will love or hate this game and one factor will determine which of the 2 it will be and that is if you mind a game lacking structure and be exceptionally open ended if you want a strong coherent story that is in any way linear this is not your game. However if you do not mind going so far as to even completely abandon even the main quest line for a while this is your game you can spend hours hot accepting one quest just mindlessly wasting time killing thing and exploring dungeons if you do not mind a game being a complete time sink. the simple ability to be absolutely any class and just do whatever the hell you want is where this game shines.…Expand

Oblivion is a great introduction into the Elder Scrolls. I loved it so much when I first played it. However, after you play Morrowind you realize how much potential Oblivion threw away. Oblivion is an example of the terrible direction the game industry is starting to go into: Games that are worth buying, and are extremely great in the beginning, but lack the long term value that is veryOblivion is a great introduction into the Elder Scrolls. I loved it so much when I first played it. However, after you play Morrowind you realize how much potential Oblivion threw away. Oblivion is an example of the terrible direction the game industry is starting to go into: Games that are worth buying, and are extremely great in the beginning, but lack the long term value that is very key to have to prevent boredom in the future again. When you finish up all the quests (Which are a lot, but still has significantly less compared to Morrowind) there is no point to play anymore. The dungeons feel prefabricated just like Daggerfall and there is nothing really "new" to explore. The vast majority of them are just filled with common monsters and loot that becomes worthless after you get the best armor and weapons (Which can be gotten fairly easily at higher levels). Oblivion is worth the money, but in the long run is no where near as RPG satisfying Morrowind was. That is what we play RPGs for, the satisfaction of completing quests or completing leveling goals or finding special items. Oblivion denies that ability of satisfaction way too early compared to its predecessors. If you are reading these reviews though you are probably considering buying it. In a simple answer, of course. Well worth the money it costs now.…Expand

This game is not the best game of all time. In fact, it probably isn't in the top 20. For some reason, even though the game is filled with bugs and terrible design, people just overlook all its problems because the side quests are fun. I would like to list some of the major problems with the game that make it a 6 instead of a 9 or 10.

1. The main story. This should have been the best partThis game is not the best game of all time. In fact, it probably isn't in the top 20. For some reason, even though the game is filled with bugs and terrible design, people just overlook all its problems because the side quests are fun. I would like to list some of the major problems with the game that make it a 6 instead of a 9 or 10.

1. The main story. This should have been the best part of the game, and it should have been long and involving. It wasn't. All the story missions felt exactly the same as any side quest, but sometimes involving an Oblivion gate. It was boring and very disappointing, especially for an RPG.

2. The entire engine. Moving feels like your gliding above the ground, and when you're in the air it feels like you're above the surface of the moon moving yourself with a fan. Picking something up off a table causes all the other objects on it to jump, And when and the ragdoll physics make creatures and people look like broken piÃ±atas.

3. The animations. When you hit something a 20 pound metal rod, you expect it to feel powerful. The animations make you feel like you're swinging a piece of hollow plastic. Facial expressions unfortunately fall right into the bottom of the uncanny valley, and one of the worst problems, Bethesda was too lazy to put in animations for running diagonally. People also just disappear when entering buildings.

4. The voice acting. The worst problem here is that there are, according to the Credits.txt file that came with the game, 9 voice actors, not including the unique characters. For a game where every single character can be interacted with, only having 9 voice actors is a massive issue. Not to mention that some characters, especially beggars, switch accents mid-dialogue. They greet you the same drawl as all the other beggars, then after you choose an option, they start talking with the same voice as the guards, and then back again during their next line. Another problem is that every single infinitely-spawning guard has the same voice actor. If they just had one other voice, it would have made a huge difference, but there's only one. Most of the dialogue is terribly generic, too.

There are very many other problems, such as the uninspired music, the ludicrous frequency of load screens, and the copy-pasted caves and dungeons, but I'll stop here.

Imagine if any other game had all these problems. It definitely wouldn't get reviews like this. If Mass Effect 3 came out with only 9 voice actors, a short and boring main story, no diagonal running animations, loading screens at every door, floaty controls, and planets like Mass Effect 1, I'm sure users would give it something like a 6. But because Oblivion as so much hype behind it, people automatically give it 10s. Now I still like the game. I've spent about 150 hours on it, but it really isn't as good as people think, and it is definitely not even close to perfect.…Expand

Oblivion is an open world RPG that is great in immersing the player in a fantasy world. The games great elements is allowing a player to build a character the way they want, rather then the way the developers want. The environment is beautiful. There are a few drawbacks. Combat is simplistic, some of the animations (such as jumping) are horrid looking and the ragdoll effects do tend toOblivion is an open world RPG that is great in immersing the player in a fantasy world. The games great elements is allowing a player to build a character the way they want, rather then the way the developers want. The environment is beautiful. There are a few drawbacks. Combat is simplistic, some of the animations (such as jumping) are horrid looking and the ragdoll effects do tend to somewhat break the immersion sometimes.

However, its in depth storyline and lore can only be competed with by its predecessor, Morrowind. Although possibly accurate in calling it a dumbed down version, Oblivion still carries a lot of elements that many other RPG titles miss.…Expand

Definitely the one of the best, if not the best game, I have ever played. A must play for fans of RPG's, or anyone who is looking for an RPG experience that isn't hardcore. Even though there's a couple of little niggles, it still fells finished, polished, and the DLC adds so much more depth to the game.

Oblivion is a classic. There is so much to do and such a big world that it is very liberating. With no real classes, you can do almost anything given enough time and training. The flora and fauna of Cyrodil is diverse and interesting. The graphics, at the time were quite impressive and for a 5 year old game, they're still very decent. Some of the quests are fun and varied, though the curseOblivion is a classic. There is so much to do and such a big world that it is very liberating. With no real classes, you can do almost anything given enough time and training. The flora and fauna of Cyrodil is diverse and interesting. The graphics, at the time were quite impressive and for a 5 year old game, they're still very decent. Some of the quests are fun and varied, though the curse of repetitive quests in rpgs still plagues this game. If there isn't enough game for you, even with the expansions, there are many mods out there to help you tailor the game to your desires.…Expand

Oblivion was my favourite game when it was released. After 5 years, I have just gone back to play it again, and it is just as magical as before. The storyline is amazing, and the seamless way in which you can pursue adventure down so many smaller story arcs is just fantastic.

The feature that gives this game so much replay value, however, is the ability to mod. There are so many availableOblivion was my favourite game when it was released. After 5 years, I have just gone back to play it again, and it is just as magical as before. The storyline is amazing, and the seamless way in which you can pursue adventure down so many smaller story arcs is just fantastic.

The feature that gives this game so much replay value, however, is the ability to mod. There are so many available and they breath new life into the game at every turn.…Expand

100+ hours of content before you even added the DLCs, decent graphics for the release year, okay combat system, very atmospheric music and sound, totally moddable so you can get updates to just about everything. Just about the perfect RPG of the decade.

From when it was released to the release of skyrim, modded oblivion was a 10/10. However a lot of people don't play this game with mods. Which leaves a far more bare journey. It's still a great game, with an incredible amount of quality content in it's vanilla state. It's just not comparable to the masterpiece that is the modded version (For reference, check out the all time tesnexusFrom when it was released to the release of skyrim, modded oblivion was a 10/10. However a lot of people don't play this game with mods. Which leaves a far more bare journey. It's still a great game, with an incredible amount of quality content in it's vanilla state. It's just not comparable to the masterpiece that is the modded version (For reference, check out the all time tesnexus oblivion mods). As an unmodded game it's a 8/10 in the current climate. As a modded game. It's a 10/10. This score reflects the modded version.…Expand

This game was to some degree a let down to me, but simply because I loved Morrowind so much. The game itself is very good, a great RPG that follows that traditional open ended free to do what you want formula. I did find the main story to be a bit short and a bit too linear but overall I think this is a great PC game that every RPG fan should play.

Great game, it is rpg and is more or less a decide your own path kind of game, only a few things i didn't like about it which didn't make me give a 10/10 is: It is a bit unrealistic how fast you level up in things and how when your sword is almost broken it looks perfectly fine, another is the graphics and graphical problems like how all water looked pink to me.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
Loved the game. Simple as that. Although Skyrim is better, as it should be, Oblivion was an awesome game. I loved the environment and meeting the people in it. I especially loved the quests in the game as it was fun to be the Grand Champion of the Arena, the Gray Fox of the Thieves Guild, Master of the Fighter's Guild, Arch-Mage of the Mages Guild, and the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. I also loved the expansive DLCs like Shivering Isles and the Knights of the Nine. Of all the characters in the game, I just LOVED Sheogorath's personality. It made my day everytime I saw him, especially when he was included in Skyrim. The Knights of the Nine was boring at first collecting all the gear. But the sky battle with Umaril was completely epic! So overall, I loved the game and I hope to see the series continued on for years.…Expand

Played this game for like 50 hours and unfortunately I have to say the gameplay is broken. Why? Because investing in the illusion & invisibility can make any quest too easy. Going through the main campaign was a breeze (even on hardest difficulty) simply because I could turn invisible, turn enemies against each other and do the entire game without having to fight an enemy.

When you'rePlayed this game for like 50 hours and unfortunately I have to say the gameplay is broken. Why? Because investing in the illusion & invisibility can make any quest too easy. Going through the main campaign was a breeze (even on hardest difficulty) simply because I could turn invisible, turn enemies against each other and do the entire game without having to fight an enemy.

When you're able to do that, and there's no way for the enemy to stop you, how will this game be challenging? I'm not gonna pretend I don't have these powers just to enjoy the game, it's broken gameplay. On top of that, I didn't even have to level up at all, which is done by sleeping. They should've done it so you automatically level up as soon as you get the experience. Now you can just avoid leveling up. Why would you want to do that? Because your enemies and creatures become better and stronger the more you level up. You can stop this process by not going to bed.

A bit overhyped, but actually quite good in my opinion. Yes it has its flaws - level scaling, UI, animations are silly, main story is quite cheap, atmosphere still not as good as Morrowind etc. Yet still the world is unbelievably huge and very well made. It requires a special approach to this game to fully enjoy it, but it is worth it.

The story in this game is good, but presented in a boring way where you see everything from one perspective. I've never been a fan of this kind of storytelling, but then again it's not why I play Bethesda games. It is the giant open world packed with quests that draw me in. The skills are nicely done, but some are unnecessary and the leveling system don't work properly. Combat is ok, butThe story in this game is good, but presented in a boring way where you see everything from one perspective. I've never been a fan of this kind of storytelling, but then again it's not why I play Bethesda games. It is the giant open world packed with quests that draw me in. The skills are nicely done, but some are unnecessary and the leveling system don't work properly. Combat is ok, but when you take all things in consideration Oblivion is a very good game. Small problems like the combat and leveling system is overshadowed by the size of the world and all the stuff you can do within the game!…Expand

Having now seen what Morrowind was like, I think I'm ready to finalise my score for Oblivion. Let's get the worst parts of Oblivion out of the way first. Compared to both Morrowind and Skyrim; Oblivion feels much more generic and lacking in any distinct theme. I'd say this is because those games both had distinctive cultural themes; being incredibly surreal and Viking-like respectively.Having now seen what Morrowind was like, I think I'm ready to finalise my score for Oblivion. Let's get the worst parts of Oblivion out of the way first. Compared to both Morrowind and Skyrim; Oblivion feels much more generic and lacking in any distinct theme. I'd say this is because those games both had distinctive cultural themes; being incredibly surreal and Viking-like respectively. The quests themselves still have an interesting variety to them, from simple fetch-this quests to more complex place-to-place quests which I think Bethesda should starts focusing on more rather than pad out games with grind missions. The graphics are adequate, but the environments lack any real distinction from one another and characters have a strange uncanny valley look to them during conversation. Voice acting is also uneven, but Bethesda should no longer lose points for that. The combat would indeed be accurate of real-life swordplay if the combatants both fought by slapping each other with pieces of cardboard. Anyway, enough negatively, let's talk positive. As I said, the quests have a nice variety to them and the main story is alright, if uneven. The environments are nicely designed and the scoring is typically excellent. Of course, above all else remains that sense of true, organic open-ended game-play that Bethesda is renowned for. As a whole though, Oblivion is still an excellent game that is let down by a lack of identity among other Beth games. By the way Bethesda, you don't need to pad out the game with radiant quests, you should focus more on making more of though long-winding quests like they had in Morrowind. Skyrim was a step in the right direction, but man up Bethesda! You have nothing to lose if you make another game as unique as Morrowind!…Expand

I'm really too lazy to explain the reason i rate it 10/10 but it's well worth, the fact that you can do almost anything is already enough, all the negative emotions i got only from characters visualisation the faces were really ugly but hell, there's like thousands of mods for that. Good job!

I have never played a game that I didn't finish but enjoyed soo much. I played over 200 hours with the different modules and only quit because my computer died. Thank goodness it died because I fear that I would still be playing. The world was so vast, so easy to enter and so easy to loose all my free time. I loved every minute.

Even though i am a huge fan of all rpgs and especially the elder scrolls, oblivion is the game that stands out for me. The gameplay is amazing with hundreds of different game styles to adopt which make the game a completely different experience. Some people might like to snipe their targets from afar, some might like to hack their way through the game while you can even be a powerful mageEven though i am a huge fan of all rpgs and especially the elder scrolls, oblivion is the game that stands out for me. The gameplay is amazing with hundreds of different game styles to adopt which make the game a completely different experience. Some people might like to snipe their targets from afar, some might like to hack their way through the game while you can even be a powerful mage and summon ferocious monsters to do the work for you! The map is gigantic and very detailed and when you first enter the game you feel lost in its vastness. Furthermore, there are hundreds of quests that you can do besides the main quest which will earn you large amounts of gold and hidden treasures which will in their turn aid you in your travels. The dialogues are very nice, the graphics very good considering the immersity of the environment the lack of frame drops even in average computers. The music will stick in your ears for days and you will generally find the game to be very entertaining. Personally, even after having spents hundreds of hours on skyrim, i still prefer this game to it, since it has an epic feel to it and it's one of few fantasy games which really create a believable world! It's an even better experience if you enjoy the game with expansions and many mods that have improved it in so many ways and taken care of some little bugs and glitches. I URGE you to try it!…Expand

I am a HUGE fan of the TES games. I have played them all and even modded the tar out of III and IV. TES IV: Oblivion is a fantastic game. The only reason I gave it a score of 8 is because although I love the game, there are a few things I wish Bethesda would have done better or differently.

Let me start with the BAD: There's a lot here.
The leveling system I don't care for, becauseI am a HUGE fan of the TES games. I have played them all and even modded the tar out of III and IV. TES IV: Oblivion is a fantastic game. The only reason I gave it a score of 8 is because although I love the game, there are a few things I wish Bethesda would have done better or differently.

Let me start with the BAD: There's a lot here.

The leveling system I don't care for, because the way the creatures level with you, I never felt like my player got any stronger. I also thought the storyline was a little weak. I felt very unsatisfied when it ended. The Oblivion gates were very tedious. It seems like someone just got lazy and copy/pasted. Not much fun. Furthermore, the NPC races share voices instead of each having a unique voice as in TES III: Morrowind. This was a let down. Furthermore, it doesn't seem like Bethesda put very much effort into NPC realism with this title. For instance, if you get caught stealing or trespassing, the guards will try to arrest you, however, if you get busted in let's say the Imperial City, resist arrest, head to let's say, Bruma and then talk to a guard, they will try to arrest you for that crime you committed in the Imperial City. I guess the guards are all psychic. Weird. I mean, how could the guards know your character was a wanted criminal in another village? Same thing when you steal an Imperial Legion horse. Even though the guard is lying there dead and you take the horse, you can still get busted. Those legion horses are the same as other horses in the game. Are they tagged or branded or something? NPC reactions are pretty bad. As with Morrowind, people had many things to say to your character regarding nudity, the weather, disease, and many other things. You don't see this in Oblivion. Rather dull if you ask me and very unrealistic. Thanks to mods, many of these bad points I've noted have been fixed, but it's something Bethesda should have done. Oblivion seems to have focused mainly on graphics and eye candy rather than realism. Sad but true.

Now for the GOOD:

The journal/quest system is awesome. In Morrowind, you could break quests if you weren't careful. This has been very much improved in Oblivion. Great. The graphics are incredible. The combat system I found very fun and enjoyable. The alchemy is a blast to play with as you can make very powerful potions. I especially liked the powerful weather effects. Very good! The guild quests were all good and the side quests were fun as well. I really liked the ability to buy houses and ride horses. The forts and caves all seemed a little repetitive, but were still fun in ways. All in all, although I feel the game has more bad points than good, I still have to rank it as the 3rd best in the TES series. The game is awesome despite its many flaws. 8/10.…Expand

This game is the most beautiful game i have ever seen, from the perfect lighting to the forests. The gameplay looks even better with the new combat system that combines all the fighting elements and the ragdoll system as well as the traps and physics for them in the dungeons. The NPCs arent just generic characters they do everything from casting spells to sleeping when they feel like it,This game is the most beautiful game i have ever seen, from the perfect lighting to the forests. The gameplay looks even better with the new combat system that combines all the fighting elements and the ragdoll system as well as the traps and physics for them in the dungeons. The NPCs arent just generic characters they do everything from casting spells to sleeping when they feel like it, they really look to embody what every rpg has tried to do. But oblivion suceeds at it. Gonna be the best game of 2005 and probably top 10 of all PC games for awhile…Expand

I believe that this game will be much better than the third because the graphics seem almost real from what I have seen and I like that it will have a bigger land mass than the third. I just wish that they had made it have optimal cooperative gameplay.

This is a very special game. Did not expect that this was possible. The AI's really have a personality and express emotion. Don''t fall in love when you are married. Just sat there an a hill and watched the stars.
- AMD 64 3500+ , ASUS 6600GT @ 1024 x 768
One word "Perfect".

its one of the best prg that i ever saw,in my life and i have seen a lot..played the morrowind,it took me a lot of time which i wont regret on neglecting other real time expieriences,something that i ll probably do with oblivion also..great game...Also something to mention to giancarlo b,and all other pc fan boys;maybe if u looked at the xbox360 version on a 52" something monitor u wouldits one of the best prg that i ever saw,in my life and i have seen a lot..played the morrowind,it took me a lot of time which i wont regret on neglecting other real time expieriences,something that i ll probably do with oblivion also..great game...Also something to mention to giancarlo b,and all other pc fan boys;maybe if u looked at the xbox360 version on a 52" something monitor u would nt be happy with the result....i trashed my friends pc version,with no antialising and hdr at the same time running has at 1024*768....on 6800 ultra,with newst drivers,2gigabyte ram and amd anything at full,(sorryyyyyy!!!)playing my xbox version on my 1600*1200 pc monitor at 1280 p wtih a component 2 vga transoder....my mate is still gathering the pieces of his jaw from the ground....and he version was at least choppy,(the horse ride,.....yuk...)As for the controls,i can still beat most of pc wannabe either mouse,or joypad...if you practice it will come....and i come clean at both(although i still b lieve that mouse key +fps,are currntly the best combination) ....just 2 set somethings straight....and 4 the record,try not compering cheap tv or oversyzed set ups with a smaller pc monitor,cause u would b surpised how auful a good image shows at three to 4 times bigger screen..now matter the resolution...try hooking up the pc on a 36 or bigger monitor with the same resolution and u ll see what i mean...support games,not tech specs..…Expand

This game is cool.. at firest what then you play it for 40 hours and realize that there is way less content than is advertized. Point one IT IS EASER TO BEAT THE GAME A LVL 1 THAN AT LVL 20 this is fucking retarded and i am not exagerating also there a very few new or strong monsters cause everything just lvls with you you can go back to a dungeons a few lvls later whoopie all the guys This game is cool.. at firest what then you play it for 40 hours and realize that there is way less content than is advertized. Point one IT IS EASER TO BEAT THE GAME A LVL 1 THAN AT LVL 20 this is fucking retarded and i am not exagerating also there a very few new or strong monsters cause everything just lvls with you you can go back to a dungeons a few lvls later whoopie all the guys you killed have come back to life and they have batter equipment. so it's an RPG with absolutly no meaning ful charater devolopment. That's bullshit Actually upon reflection thats really the only thing horrible wrong with the game. Course it means that the are no place you can't go at lvl one wich makes not sense you will never fight an enemy you cannot beat and you will never encounter an enemy who is easy to beat…Expand

A masterpiece. This is not a game for everyone however, you have to like exploring, finding new things, talking with the NPCs to get random quests (such as my rats are being killed by something!). To all those who just pummeled it through the main storyline and got bored, that's not what the elder scrolls are all about, there are over 400 quests in total, go and explore, do the main A masterpiece. This is not a game for everyone however, you have to like exploring, finding new things, talking with the NPCs to get random quests (such as my rats are being killed by something!). To all those who just pummeled it through the main storyline and got bored, that's not what the elder scrolls are all about, there are over 400 quests in total, go and explore, do the main quests when you are head of all the guilds, found all of the master trainers, this game is about what you want out of it. If you are going to deliberately train your characters attributes at level 1, so no levelling up, then it's your fault, if you paly the game properly it is fantastic, just because you can screw up the game, doesn't mean you have to, it is sort of like loading up chapter 12 on half life 2, activating god mode, finishing it, and then calling half life 2 crap. The landscapes are fantastic, the AI does lack in some areas, you can run back and forth against some enemies and they will miss all thier attacks, but this doesn't detract from the overall experience, if you want to play an "oh look follow the arrow" game, then Oblivion isn't for you. This game is so excellent because it is so open, if you don't take advantage of that, that's your problem, not the game's.…Expand

One of my favorite RPGs of all time with a great modding community. At first, male characters look horrible in my opinion and the game doesn't really pick up until you install some mods to fix up some of the characters.

I wrote one review for this on the 360 already, but tragicly forgot to mention one of the reasons I love this game so much. The expansion Shivering Isles is the single most enjoyable DLC I have ever played. Period. It's a wonderful, twisted, gripping expansion. I could take or leave Knights of the Nine, but the Shivering Isle was epic.

Fantastic Game. The freedom we have to mount classes , magics and our own alternative paths and quests in the game are really unique. Plus , instead of other famous RPG like games, it brings us the experience of good first person combat.

I admit I love Oblivion, I played like hundreds of hours in it. However, there is the Oblivion out of the box which you grow tired of rather quickly, certainly after one full run through the main quest (which I liked but could be more elaborate) and some of the guild quests. And then there is the modded Oblivion which is simply amazing and a universe in itself. Out of the box the game is aI admit I love Oblivion, I played like hundreds of hours in it. However, there is the Oblivion out of the box which you grow tired of rather quickly, certainly after one full run through the main quest (which I liked but could be more elaborate) and some of the guild quests. And then there is the modded Oblivion which is simply amazing and a universe in itself. Out of the box the game is a 6 or 7 maybe (I much agree with what reviewer Phlakes is saying), but the modded game is the best game ever, if you take the time to learn modding which can get intricate and intimidating. So I give it a 9.…Expand

A heroic fantasy masterpiece and an RPG modder's dream, sadly flawed by some poor design choices (eg, level scaling) and its reliance on a vague high fantasy aesthetic over the depth of lore and hand-crafted world of its predecessor Morrowind.

But the scope, potential, and fundamental gameplay value of Oblivion can hardly be overstated, especially when it's considered as a 5 year-oldA heroic fantasy masterpiece and an RPG modder's dream, sadly flawed by some poor design choices (eg, level scaling) and its reliance on a vague high fantasy aesthetic over the depth of lore and hand-crafted world of its predecessor Morrowind.

But the scope, potential, and fundamental gameplay value of Oblivion can hardly be overstated, especially when it's considered as a 5 year-old game. An imperfect classic.…Expand

This game is undoubtedly one of the greatest, if not the greatest, I've ever played. The game-play is fun, the character-creation system is ambitious, and the story is captivating (but perhaps a bit generic). The class system is entirely flexible, allowing you to take advantage of limitless possibilities. Bethesda's huge library of lore is so diverse and expansive; it could convince youThis game is undoubtedly one of the greatest, if not the greatest, I've ever played. The game-play is fun, the character-creation system is ambitious, and the story is captivating (but perhaps a bit generic). The class system is entirely flexible, allowing you to take advantage of limitless possibilities. Bethesda's huge library of lore is so diverse and expansive; it could convince you that Tamriel is a real place. There are a plethora of dungeons to explore, items to find, and monsters to slay. Only a handful of negative factors (lack of diverse voice-acting, awkward AI, etc.) stopped me from giving this game a perfect ten. There is absolutely no-one that I wouldn't recommend this game to; It's a great experience, and you'll easily put over a hundred hours into exploring the beautiful land of Cyrodiil. If the 2006 graphics aren't to your liking, there are plenty of mods over on TESNexus or Planet Elder Scrolls to improve them.

The defining factor that places Oblivion on the RPG Throne is it's open world. It's the very first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions the game. There are choices to be made in every situation; your character could be a ruthless assassin, a righteous knight, or a brilliant mage; there are no boundaries. So buy Oblivion, you'll be glad you did.…Expand

Okay, I will rate this in two portions. First will be the game in its out of the box, vanilla state. The second will be with the addition of mods. Overall I give the game a solid 7 for vanilla and a 9 for mods, so we can call it even at 8.

1. Vanilla oblivion is great. When the game first came out it was the first next gen game of its kind. That is a huge reason it had so much hype. HowOkay, I will rate this in two portions. First will be the game in its out of the box, vanilla state. The second will be with the addition of mods. Overall I give the game a solid 7 for vanilla and a 9 for mods, so we can call it even at 8.

1. Vanilla oblivion is great. When the game first came out it was the first next gen game of its kind. That is a huge reason it had so much hype. How mnany other games offered that detailed and that gorgeous of a gameworld? Now in comparison to Morrowind, the quests sucked. Morrowind actually took a real long time to complete even if you did only main quest and hauled ass. Oblivion's main quest is just kinda....done. I finished the game and was astonished how little time it required. Realistaqcally...you can probably beat the main quest in 1-2 days if you know what your doing. Side quests- Oblivion did have some interesting and funny side quests at times but I kinda missed the running down a road in the middle of nowhere and some guy offers me 50 bucks to deliver some shirts from morrowind. Oblivion to me was more of a showcase than an actual Elder Scrolls. Also you need to keep in mind tech limits in 2006 they wanted this onto one disc... the game is several gigs. and ppl always btich about how morrowind was so massive....Guys...Morrowind GOTY takes up 924MB on my HD, that aint alot, thats less than a damn movie. Anyways. The biggerst dissappointment in Oblvion for me was the leveled creature system. At levels 1-7/8 you fight nothing but imps, wolves and the occasional bandit. In morrowind, god help you if you went somewhere at level 1-10 or 10-20 so on that you weasnt supposed to be. Every region in Morrowind had its own creatures of varying strengths. So if you went to Molag Amur at lvl 1 you got ate.

2. Alright. Mods... As always TES has an amazing mod community and like all the previous games you can mod anything...and I mean ANYthing. I wont go into detail but go to tesnexus or planetelderscrolls. they have thousounds upon thousands of mods.…Expand

So long as you dont know about the level scaling system untill youve poured your life into this thing you will be fine. Its true. The elder scrolls provide a universe that makes you forget the bugs, forget the level scaling issues, forget what small problems persist, its all an amazing expierience, but oblivion is probablly the worst elder scrolls game by far.

Oblivion is game like no game in its genre.. The story has complexity and yet is displayed in an understanding theatrical way. With monstrosity of number of things to do or kill, it appears almost infinite. The design of upgrading your character with so many options is thrilling. Most of glitch hiccups are completely gone, which is sigh of relief from the launch problems.. The graphicOblivion is game like no game in its genre.. The story has complexity and yet is displayed in an understanding theatrical way. With monstrosity of number of things to do or kill, it appears almost infinite. The design of upgrading your character with so many options is thrilling. Most of glitch hiccups are completely gone, which is sigh of relief from the launch problems.. The graphic engine seems to be slightly improved, than its launched texture look. Yet even with so many things to do, their are some more utterly boring quests and repetitive dungeons or caves. More creativity is needed with the cave system. Some weird instances of a tiresome traveling, "Do I continue to trot on this slow horse or is walking faster", "What do I do here, do I go there, wait no its back there". A simple system of helping you more, can sometimes be relief to some amateur gamer's. Though I find completely fine, I like a challenge, of a hide and seek sort of thing. Some gamer's do feel different, with a game this huge. There are many instances to get lost in multiple quest, that take literally days till you get back to your main one. For the criticism of a this game, it is really minor thread. Awesome presentation, improved graphics, less hiccups, mid-creativity yet very beautiful. Oblivion gets 8.75 out 10........…Expand

This game is more open then the usual games out there, and does a great job. It's not perfect, but was worth playing casually. It's not that visually striking for the kids with disorders and can be boring at times, but the experience is unique.

This was my first Elder Scrolls game and it did not disappoint for one reason: it had a massive library of mods. I can think of no other game that compares to the scale of modding scene of Oblivion. Even other Beth games pale in the face of it. Vanilla Oblivion however has more than its fair share of bugs and flaws. Repetitive gameplay, an inventory system inferior to its predecessorThis was my first Elder Scrolls game and it did not disappoint for one reason: it had a massive library of mods. I can think of no other game that compares to the scale of modding scene of Oblivion. Even other Beth games pale in the face of it. Vanilla Oblivion however has more than its fair share of bugs and flaws. Repetitive gameplay, an inventory system inferior to its predecessor and horrible voice acting bring this game down. Despite this, the various storylines, in game lore and in game customization warrants at least an 8/10. Modded Oblivion however is a solid ten if not eleven out of ten. I have seen no other game that is better than a personalized Oblivion.…Expand

I remember when I played this game when it first came out on pc, on a new system I had just built. This game at that time blew my mind. This was the first "open world" game I played, and the sheer magnitude was astonishing. The graphics and gameplay opened a whole new world for me. It does take some time to get going, but once you are moving you can't stop. The world map is huge and theirI remember when I played this game when it first came out on pc, on a new system I had just built. This game at that time blew my mind. This was the first "open world" game I played, and the sheer magnitude was astonishing. The graphics and gameplay opened a whole new world for me. It does take some time to get going, but once you are moving you can't stop. The world map is huge and their are TONS of locations. I do believe some of the cities and dungeons can be a bit repetitive and the fighting mechanics aren't the best, but for its time this was a truly great open world. I would like to see a bigger variety of armor and weapons, but there's still a lot here. It was also cool going through portals to oblivion to fight off evil, and this was just one piece to a giant puzzle. Overall I think the game could have been perfected, a lot of mods out now are interesting and worth trying, but it is still an very good adventure!…Expand

The game is action packed, has an amazing storyline with more than enough different paths you can pick to walk, all by yourself. Oblivion has has been pulled down by many because the environment levels as you level, as in the monsters in the world become stronger as you do. I can't say that shouldn't have been different, but it didn't pull the game rating down for me, because it did notThe game is action packed, has an amazing storyline with more than enough different paths you can pick to walk, all by yourself. Oblivion has has been pulled down by many because the environment levels as you level, as in the monsters in the world become stronger as you do. I can't say that shouldn't have been different, but it didn't pull the game rating down for me, because it did not decrease the ammount of fun I had with the game. For its' time, Oblivion ruled the gaming world.…Expand

An amazing game, fun to play, could spend 100+ hours in it and still be playing. It's even better if you bought it for PC, as there are tons of community mods for it, adding loads of new content, bug fixes, and more!

I loved Oblivion, not as long and dragging as Morrowind and not as short and simple as Skyrim, love the plot, characters are so interesting, combats fun. I loved it, still like it I suppose. There are many quests and very few of them are like the errand running quests thrown at you in Morrowind and Skyrim. While I admit the scenery is a bit boring and same-old same-old its still moreI loved Oblivion, not as long and dragging as Morrowind and not as short and simple as Skyrim, love the plot, characters are so interesting, combats fun. I loved it, still like it I suppose. There are many quests and very few of them are like the errand running quests thrown at you in Morrowind and Skyrim. While I admit the scenery is a bit boring and same-old same-old its still more attractive and there is a variety of areas to explore. While Morrowind is better at depth I found it a bit too much, Oblivion has just the right amount for it to feel like a game, not a story.

Character creations funny, you could make your nose MASSIVE and have long turquoise hair. Combat is entertaining and deaths can be made funny when you drag bodies around and make them spaz out. Leveling was OK, don't know if I like it as much as Skyrim's but its cool. Side quests are great and fun, especially Shivering Isles, I like the arena and I like all the guilds you can join and they really make the game interesting. Mods REALLY open up the game to be even more fun. I'd strongly recommend it.…Expand

If you haven't played this game before, please don't let the negative reviews prevent you from trying it. Many of them are from whiny Morrowind fanboys that have nostalgia goggles glued to their face, whether they admit it or not. I know this because I first played Morrowind before I played Oblivion and then Skyrim. For starters, the AI is a vast improvement in Oblivion. You won't see soIf you haven't played this game before, please don't let the negative reviews prevent you from trying it. Many of them are from whiny Morrowind fanboys that have nostalgia goggles glued to their face, whether they admit it or not. I know this because I first played Morrowind before I played Oblivion and then Skyrim. For starters, the AI is a vast improvement in Oblivion. You won't see so many NPCs that are just robots that have nothing better to do than stand in their shop or wander around town all day and night. You won't see so many enemies getting stuck on objects or jogging in place. The combat system is HUGE, and I mean HUGE improvement over Morrowind. The world is a million times more fun to explore. You're no longer limited to "Wooden door in side of mountain, Copy and Pasted Dwarven ruin, and occasional Daedric ruin." There are the usual caves and tombs, but they're more varied and the Dwarven Ruins have been replaced with Ayleid ones, and you'll find more daedric lord quests to get unique artifacts, for a refreshing change of pace. And in place of Daedric ruins, you'll now find abandoned military forts that have since been reclaimed by bandits. Plus you'll be finding more bandit camps that are just out in the wilderness. I myself found the world of Morrowind to be dull and lifeless. I'm sorry, but huge mushrooms and crazy looking animals do not cut it for me. The environment in Oblivion feels so much more alive! You'll find deer, wolves, and other such animals you would expect to be wandering the wilderness that will interact with each other; instead of just a billion Nix Hounds and Cliff Racers that stand around much like the NPCs. The graphics are a given, and I won't go into that too much. The physics have been greatly improved, the NPCs have more personality. When you meet someone, there's a better chance they're not "Fargoth, Commoner" as you would so commonly find in Morrowind. When you go into a Tavern, it feels like a Tavern. You can even sit down in a chair and roleplay a bit, unlike Morrowind where you simply go to sell some junk while the NPCs stand there lifelessly. I compare Oblivion to Morrowind because I know most of the bad reviews come from the fanboys that are completely blind to the HUGE improvements that were made in Oblivion. Trust me, as a fair reviewer who tries to be objective about the series (I rate Oblivion the highest, Morrowind second, and Skyrim third), I would recommend this game to anyone who likes RPGs. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the fun new quest types they have available. Like the Dark Brotherhood, where you can act as a hitman and sneakily assassinate your targets. Or the Thieves Guild quest, which now seem to actually require you to be a sneak thief. Unlike in Morrowind, where you could essentially be a good thief with nothing but a good lockpick skill. Walk past extremely dumb NPC, close door, pick lock on chest, take item, report back to quest giver. Just another case where Oblivion is far superior to Morrowind, I think. Oh, and then there's the new Arena quest, where you can fight kind of like a gladiator against numerous opponents in a Colosseum-esque arena. Now, to be fair, there are some flaws. At higher levels, you'll find many bandits who spawn with expensive armor, which kind of makes them seem less like bandits. They added a quest marker system, which some people feel is a terrible change from Morrowind. Instead of having to follow directions from someone, you'll have a quest marker telling you where to go. This is debatable if this is even a flaw though. The map is much larger and not nearly as easy to memorize as Morrowind, who's map seemed to consist mostly of easy to remember paths and easy to find locations. So this is a flaw for some, a positive for others, or just a "who cares" thing (that's how I feel about it). There's less weapon types, which hardly feel like a difference in most cases. Sorry Morrowind fans, but I never felt the need to use all the different random short blades and throwing knives they had in there. Though some weapons were left out that definitely should have been included, like spears and crossbows. Though that doesn't mean you'll be lacking in weaponry, you still have quite a few weapon types to select from. There is a shortage of voice actors, which doesn't seem to be a very valid complaint seeing as voice acting in Morrowind seemed almost non-existent. Even if they used two voice actors to voice every character, it would have been a step up. And even though there is a shortage of voice actors, the ones they did use sound great. The whole "Stop! You violated the law!" thing just wouldn't be the same if it weren't for that one Imperial voice saying it. I want to go on, but I'm running out of room to finish this review. All I can say is that this is my favorite Elder Scrolls game, and one of my most favorite video games of all time.…Expand

I have played many RPG in my life and this one always remains a classic. This is leaps and bonds over the final fantasy, fables and even Morrowind. Morrowind in terms of combat and atmosphere was alot less enaging than in oblivion. Combat is much more engaging, as it should be for this style of game. Quests are entertaining and tough enemies are very challenging.

A great RPG with a huge world to explore. Soundtrack, atmosphere, the freedom to roam freely around Tamriel, hundreds of quests to fulfill, Oblivion is full of content. On the downside, the world feels a bit lifeless and generic after some hours of playtime, which is why personally I found the addon "Shivering Isles" with its weird surroundings to be the best part of the game. Not as goodA great RPG with a huge world to explore. Soundtrack, atmosphere, the freedom to roam freely around Tamriel, hundreds of quests to fulfill, Oblivion is full of content. On the downside, the world feels a bit lifeless and generic after some hours of playtime, which is why personally I found the addon "Shivering Isles" with its weird surroundings to be the best part of the game. Not as good as Skyrim or Morrowind, but still definitely recommandable for anyone interested in RPGs.…Expand

This game was my introduction to the elder scrolls series.
Story-
7/10
as far as story goes I'd give oblivion a 7/10 monarch X has been killed the hero must now find his heir and stop event Y from happening. The story has a couple memorable characters such as Baruas, Mankar Cameron, Lucius and Jauffre, but outside of that none really seem that unique or different.
Gameplay
9/10
TheThis game was my introduction to the elder scrolls series.
Story-
7/10
as far as story goes I'd give oblivion a 7/10 monarch X has been killed the hero must now find his heir and stop event Y from happening. The story has a couple memorable characters such as Baruas, Mankar Cameron, Lucius and Jauffre, but outside of that none really seem that unique or different.

Gameplay
9/10
The gate mechanic is fun and original, I never thought closing gates got old. Another great mechanic is the radiant AI, they make you feel like you are actually in a living, breathing world.

Quests
8/10
Some quests in the game are better than others for example, in my opinion, the fighter.s guild, thieve's guild (until the last couple of quests) and mage's guild are fairly lack luster; while The Dark Brotherhood, The main quest line, various NPC quests, and the Deadric quests are very fun.

The Sound
10/10
Amazing OST, simply epic

Dungeon Design
9/10
non-linear dungeons with traps and lots of loot keep these very entertaining at first, but start to feel repetitive by the end of the game.

Graphics
at its time 10/10, but even with aging I can't give it below a 8/10

Challenge
8/10
The difficulty slider is there for experienced RPG players, but once you get to the late game where you have money out your ears the game becomes fairly easy once more.

This game always loomed around the video store unnoticed, until I picked it up one day by chance. I never looked back since then, it is one of my all time favorites, and I will always treasure the memories and experiences this game gave me. Absolute 10/10.

Its beyond me how anybody can give this game 0 out of 10, as this would imply that Oblivion is one of the worst games ever created, this is far from true. However this doesn't mean that Oblivion is perfect a lot of the characters repeat the same lines and the facial animations are nothing to write home about on top of that the system with which you persuade people to like you more is wayIts beyond me how anybody can give this game 0 out of 10, as this would imply that Oblivion is one of the worst games ever created, this is far from true. However this doesn't mean that Oblivion is perfect a lot of the characters repeat the same lines and the facial animations are nothing to write home about on top of that the system with which you persuade people to like you more is way to easy.

Now that's over with let me tell you that Oblivion is one of my all time favorite games that i have logged countless hours onto. The world really drags you and i even found myself reading up on the lore just to understand the game more (You really don't need to). The combat isn't amazing but there are many ways to fight depending on your class offering a different experience with every play through. The story itself is engaging and draws you in making you actually care about the fate of Tamerial. The game itself is huge there are thousands of quests to complete and dungeons to explore on a huge map, the quests themselves differ massively from simply clearing dungeons to going into a warped painting world (Yes really) and that's ignoring the portals to Oblivion (Different plane of existence for Deadra) that take you to a completely different world more reminiscent of hell.

For me Oblivion is a benchmark for all future RPG's to compare themselves. Truly a great game and one of the ultimate gaming experiences.…Expand

I love the setting of this game. You can be a vampire and enter people's homes and feast on their flesh. You also have to choose whether to be a vampire or not and if you do there are both advantages and disadvantages, like being stronger at night but weaker during the day. That is awesome. There is also a bunch else that's cool with the setting, like assassinating people and fiery worldsI love the setting of this game. You can be a vampire and enter people's homes and feast on their flesh. You also have to choose whether to be a vampire or not and if you do there are both advantages and disadvantages, like being stronger at night but weaker during the day. That is awesome. There is also a bunch else that's cool with the setting, like assassinating people and fiery worlds with goblins and stuff. It's really neat in that sense.

The combat in this game is just lame. There is no combat. I would rather play a shooter, or Bioshock, or anything. Maybe I'm just a complainer, and yes I do tend to lean towards strategy anyways, but the combat is too much click too little think for me, but that's just my take on it.…Expand

Sadly, while bethesda sorted out the control system and and voice acting for this installment of the elder scrolls, they removed the heart and character from it. It's still a good game with a lot of content but compared to other installments this is the ugly step-child.

Oblivion is the best game i've ever played. As the fourth entry into the Elder Scrolls series, it certainly improves over Morrowind in almost every way. It's easy to spend hundreds of hours into the game and even more with mods. The lore and quest are all interesting and unique especially the Shivering Isles DLC. Oblivion is the perfect balance between Morrowind and Skyrim and, in myOblivion is the best game i've ever played. As the fourth entry into the Elder Scrolls series, it certainly improves over Morrowind in almost every way. It's easy to spend hundreds of hours into the game and even more with mods. The lore and quest are all interesting and unique especially the Shivering Isles DLC. Oblivion is the perfect balance between Morrowind and Skyrim and, in my opinion, the strongest of the three.…Expand

This game is still better quality than some of the games that are produced and released today, although Skyrim was an amazing game I still had way more fun in Oblivion than Skyrim. Although the AI in this game was a bit buggy and sometimes quests bugged out it is so much fun that it is easy to overlook these things. The two bad things about this game is that it's so addictive that you canThis game is still better quality than some of the games that are produced and released today, although Skyrim was an amazing game I still had way more fun in Oblivion than Skyrim. Although the AI in this game was a bit buggy and sometimes quests bugged out it is so much fun that it is easy to overlook these things. The two bad things about this game is that it's so addictive that you can get lost in it for too long and horse armour DLC.…Expand

This is the review of someone who played Skyrim first, then read the negative critics about Skyrim telling that "Oblivion was the **** Skyrim sucks", and who decided to test Oblivion.

I have to say it's very hard to go back in time, and I could never enjoy the game as much as I wanted to. Those ugly faces, my god. The graphics were good for the time, but are pretty bad if you play itThis is the review of someone who played Skyrim first, then read the negative critics about Skyrim telling that "Oblivion was the **** Skyrim sucks", and who decided to test Oblivion.

I have to say it's very hard to go back in time, and I could never enjoy the game as much as I wanted to. Those ugly faces, my god. The graphics were good for the time, but are pretty bad if you play it now

The quests are better, I have to admit it, and the whole Oblivion plan is what makes it interesting, but I have had a lot of difficulties with the inventory system, the combat and the sounds the hero makes when he/she attacks. I tried to finish it but I couldn't.

Hours of gameplay though, a nice open world, and lots of mobs all over the place

Conclusion : I should have played Oblivion before Skyrim came out !…Expand

Due to the amount of time I've spent with the Elder Scrolls series, I feel I have to write something even if I should mostly repeat what I have written about Morrowind: The atmosphere of this game is fantastic in that it lets you explore foreign worlds in a rather purist interpretation of the modern RPG genre (although much more mainstream than Morrowind). There are a lot of surprisesDue to the amount of time I've spent with the Elder Scrolls series, I feel I have to write something even if I should mostly repeat what I have written about Morrowind: The atmosphere of this game is fantastic in that it lets you explore foreign worlds in a rather purist interpretation of the modern RPG genre (although much more mainstream than Morrowind). There are a lot of surprises waiting, a fantastic soundtrack, stellar lighting, atmosphere everywhere. Also, the game design is a little bit rough. Quirky quests, to say the least. Actually, I like that.
My biggest contra: The levelling enemies (staying close to the player's strength) are a feature that kills immersion. The Gothic series and the "Nehrim" mod for Oblivion (both from Germany) show how serious enemies create suspense naturally, because the fear of being killed encourages precautions, and thus a much deeper involvement in the fantasy world. But, like with the quick travelling mechanism, Oblivion designers chose to play it safe - and it's not a complete game breaker.
But there is also the big problem with the whole technology. For example, an uncomfortable interface not worthy of a title of that scale (although much improved from Morrowind). To refine the experience and make the game even more beautiful, to add new quests or entire worlds, or just to redefine the game mechanics, modding capabilities and a vivid community have resulted in tons of mods available - leaving almost no wish impossible. - But be warned: Frustration ahead. If you want to master the art of adding several mods, it's unavoidable to learn how to use multiple 3rd party tools in order to make that work. And it won't always. I cannot go into the details, but many a developer's career started modding Oblivion (or trying to). Alas, the technology behind Oblivion is not very satisfying. The whole data structure seems like a relic of an inferior choice from the past, and there are inconsistencies within the engine - a strong argument against modding such a game.
Oblivion looks very good, but it is not a healthy game tech-wise. I can recommend it without hesitation, but I also want to urge the developers to continue the Elder Scrolls franchise from a more stable framework. (no luck in Skyrim yet)…Expand

This game is most likely the greatest game I've ever played. I put many hours and lots of my computer's storage into beating this game. Music, Graphics, Quests, Character Creation: all the best of its time. I tell all my friends to play it.

A technical improvement from Morrowind but a downgrade in playability with the system of "use an ability to level it", that keeps us doing things we don't wanted, for example, to improve Athletics we were jumping all the time instead of run or walk... fortunately all failures can be fixed and improved with mods. Thanks Bethesda for the TES Construction Set to improve beyond standards.

Definitely one of the greatest games ever made.
Many Elder Scrolls fans hate this game because it is less hardcore than Morrowind pretty much just because it has a map marker but if you really hate the map marker switch to a different quest or something or get a mod to turn it off.
If you have only played Skyrim and not played any other Elder Scrolls games you should definitely playDefinitely one of the greatest games ever made.
Many Elder Scrolls fans hate this game because it is less hardcore than Morrowind pretty much just because it has a map marker but if you really hate the map marker switch to a different quest or something or get a mod to turn it off.
If you have only played Skyrim and not played any other Elder Scrolls games you should definitely play oblivion as most of the quests and quest lines are much better than Skyrim's quests and quest lines.…Expand

Peanut butter by itself is delicious, but when you combine it with stuff like nutella, it becomes amazing. So it is with Oblivion and its mods. Oblivion is currently 5 years old and has TWENTY TWO THOUSAND mods on tesnexus alone. Literally anything you want oblivion to be, it can be. It is a great game, but can become bland by itself, but not until you've run through the main quest andPeanut butter by itself is delicious, but when you combine it with stuff like nutella, it becomes amazing. So it is with Oblivion and its mods. Oblivion is currently 5 years old and has TWENTY TWO THOUSAND mods on tesnexus alone. Literally anything you want oblivion to be, it can be. It is a great game, but can become bland by itself, but not until you've run through the main quest and become the head of all the guilds, but the real allure is the open ended gameplay and the mods.

I recommend playing the vanilla game first, ie unmodded, and then adding in tweaks. You'll go from a great game to a new world as you add new elements to get deeper into the game. I have been coming back to this game for 5 years and I will only stop playing for the same reason I stopped playing its predecessor, Morrowind, because the next iteration has come out and its mods are even better!

Bethesda is a hell of a game company and their RPG's are bar none the best RPG's ever made due to the fact that you can make the game whatever you want it to be. Don't buy it on console, you'd be cheating yourself, come to the dark side of modding and you will never look back.

The only downside to Oblivion is that its not quite as vivid as Morrowind was as it was made a tad more mainstream and simplified to release as one of the first 360 games, but on PC you won't have that issue.

Disclaimer- I am not responsible for your becoming a TES addict.…Expand

There seem to be people who hate on this game simply because it's not a "traditional" RPG. That is, in a game like this which is truly open; your own personal plot isn't spoonfed to you. Your own personal character history, motivation, and actions are all up to you and your imagination. If you don't have imagination and don't want to get lost in a non-linear world, There seem to be people who hate on this game simply because it's not a "traditional" RPG. That is, in a game like this which is truly open; your own personal plot isn't spoonfed to you. Your own personal character history, motivation, and actions are all up to you and your imagination. If you don't have imagination and don't want to get lost in a non-linear world, this isn't for you. As far as the main quest goes, yes it's short and rather unimpressive but much like old RPGs the wonder of the game is in the side-quests and off-the-path interactions. I put dozens of hours into this game without touching the main quest for days on end; I've played through four times and STILL find new things to uncover with each playthrough The game is relaxing when you want it to be, tense when it needs to be, and always engrossing. I don't know why the "old school" crowd is so venomous because it doesn't adhere to the rules of other RPGs. Why does everything have to be the same? Don't see Oblivion for what it isn't, see it for what it is. I can appreciate and love both types. 9 because while the game most definitely deserves its acclaim, some of its niggles had no business being there, like the console-ish menu system and repetitive voice actors.…Expand

This game stole what little life I already had. It's incredibly fun. Randomly exploring caves and ruins never gets boring, though I do admit, I had to start using console commands to close down Oblivion Gates because I just couldn't take doing the same map I had already done a million times before. Another small complaint I have and that I've heard a lot of is that Oblivion doesn't captureThis game stole what little life I already had. It's incredibly fun. Randomly exploring caves and ruins never gets boring, though I do admit, I had to start using console commands to close down Oblivion Gates because I just couldn't take doing the same map I had already done a million times before. Another small complaint I have and that I've heard a lot of is that Oblivion doesn't capture Morrowind's atmosphere. I haven't played Morrowind much yet, but after playing hours upon hours of Oblivion and stepping of the boat in the very beginning to see a massive insect that, come to find out, was used for transportation made the game feel very alien. Oblivion's atmosphere is indeed more of a generic sort of feel, but there are definitely improvements over a few problems I noticed with Morrowind despite how little I played of it. First of all, combat feels much more smooth, and when you hit an enemy, you actually hit them, rather than using stats to determine your hit chance. In addition, the combat just feels smoother, with the ability to block at will rather than using the block skill to determine the chance of blocking. My biggest Morrowind annoyance is how slowly you moved at the beginning of the game. Being a rather impatient person, that gets kind of old. Oblivion definitely fixed this problem. A change from Morrowind that I think is for the worse is the horrible leveling system. Enemies level up with you, and subsequently, so does their loot. It tends to ruin the realism quite a bit (how do so many bandits find full sets of Daedric armor?) and generally makes the game get harder as you level up, unless you micromanage your skill growth to obtain the maximum boost from each level, which is incredibly annoying and just plain tiresome. On the good side of the game, the world is massive. There are hundreds of locations to discover, many of which have a quest assigned to them. There are also quite a lot of joinable factions. Not as many as Morrowind, I've heard, but still a good amount, ranging from the magic oriented Mages Guild, to the combat oriented Fighters Guild, and the stealth oriented Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood. Each offers a very different experience and all are worth joining, even if you don't really focus on that particular stat (heck, I was a thief and I still became one of the top ranking members of the Mage's Guild). Spell casting tends to be a bit on the weak side when it comes to buffs, many lasting as little as 10 seconds before needing to be recast and the spell making is more limited that many would like it to be. The spell animations tend to be a bit bland after a while, using the same effects for each spell for the most part (for example, a strong fire spell will look the exact same as a weak fire spell. At least prior to impact). I personally do not like the music in Oblivion, though the songs can easily be changed by replacing the files in your music folder. The main story quest is fairly interesting, though I find it hard to play more than once. Even if you don't enjoy the story, the lore still provides an interesting feel to the world you Overall, Oblivion is a huge game with a very nice combat system, a huge world for you to explore, many NPCs to populate it. Finally, though I'm not counting this towards the score of my review, it is definitely worth mentioning that there are a HUGE number of modifications available for Oblivion, improving upon many problems I've mentioned here (like the shoddy magic system and broken leveling) as well as a few I didn't. There are many to improve performance and stability of your game if your computer can't handle the graphics, while others add in various content (homes, weapons, armor, the things you might expect). As a last word. whether or not you use a few mods or a lot of mods or just avoid mods altogether, Oblivion is definitely a game you should pick up regardless of what console you want it for (though if you want mods, the PC is the best console to go with).…Expand

perhaps 1 of the best series of games out there, excellent idea and masters non-linear gaming. although a number of glitches haunt this game; a modding community still very much alive and active today has pretty much rectified any problems remaining. the elder scrolls created not only a game but a legacy and probably has a lore behind it that rivals star trek :) - just search oblivion inperhaps 1 of the best series of games out there, excellent idea and masters non-linear gaming. although a number of glitches haunt this game; a modding community still very much alive and active today has pretty much rectified any problems remaining. the elder scrolls created not only a game but a legacy and probably has a lore behind it that rivals star trek :) - just search oblivion in google and youll see wat i mean. althought made in 2006, ign said that it took 2 2008 4 another game 2 top it - fallout 3. Note: made by same company oblivion is not a game it is a world therefore rated 2 the max…Expand

i think this is one of the best RPG games i ever played. U can be almost what u want...Assassin, mage or warrior...The quest are good, but the main quest is a little bit ....how can i say...not the best.

You cannot compare this to fallout, because its nothing like it. This game is absolutely amazing, and will go down in history because 5 years on, it still looks beautiful. The open world it delivers is massive and full, wherever you go there is something, which shows how refined the game is and how much effort was put in, the graphics are amazing for the time and the storyline keeps youYou cannot compare this to fallout, because its nothing like it. This game is absolutely amazing, and will go down in history because 5 years on, it still looks beautiful. The open world it delivers is massive and full, wherever you go there is something, which shows how refined the game is and how much effort was put in, the graphics are amazing for the time and the storyline keeps you captivated. I like how the story takes you all over the world, which makes the RPG even bigger because of movement, and in between walking you stumble across more and more caves or ruins and you HAVE to explore them, it side tracks you so much, you find yourself nowhere near where you wanted and another 5 hours of game play in the bag. There are obviously flaws, i will get onto them later. The AI are one of the best AI in a video game and they respond completely to your presence. I like the character designs too, there has been so much thought put into everything, the amount of things you can be..it makes your character different to your friends, and not many games can deliver that. The sound is absolutely amazing off memory, the music when you are battling through the wilderness is perfect, creating a brilliant mood that you can delve, making you believe you are in the game. The flaws, like i said earlier, is that there isnt many battles with more than one creature, imagine the game with epic battles with more than 20 enemies at once? it would be superb, the greatest...but I think thats down to FPS, the game would not run with masses of enemies attacking at once. It isnt a massive problem, but its something i wouldnt mind in it, because the game is still amazing without it, and its such a minor problem when you look over the entire game. Everything has a unique design which makes you believe you are there. Summing up the game, it is a definite buy, if you dont enjoy this game at all, not even for sound/graphics then you are a fool, this is an amazing game which definitely by-passes Morrowind and shows that the developers (Bethesda) are constantly evolving for the better, one of the greatest games ever. Undoubtedly 10/10. - FlubbaJubba…Expand

This is more than a game, this is the future of man kind. I am bringing you my second review on one of my favorite games of all time, OBLIVION. This game came out a while back but it is still enjoyable as any game that has came out recently. If you have played an elder scrolls game you will know what i mean. The characters have good story lines and the whole game is packed with side questsThis is more than a game, this is the future of man kind. I am bringing you my second review on one of my favorite games of all time, OBLIVION. This game came out a while back but it is still enjoyable as any game that has came out recently. If you have played an elder scrolls game you will know what i mean. The characters have good story lines and the whole game is packed with side quests which will give you the equipment to finish the main story easier. You start off in a prison, you don't know anything, but you quickly find out a thew things* That dark elf in the other jail is a douche* That the emperors son's are getting killed* You are the one who must close the jaws of oblivion

When you have finished the tutorial you will be placed in the world. You will have to guide your own path through the game, i have played through an assassin and a thief and they have total different game play which makes the replay ability of the game outstanding. I can't wait for skyrim as it should take care of the things oblivion had like poor graphics, the weird voice acting of the normal npc's and the zooming into the faces. The modding community is vast, as there are mods that add magic in the game, or total conversions which in turn, make the game more re playable. BUY THIS GAME, RIGHT NOW!…Expand

This game was absolutely amazing, it has great lore, lots of content and a lot of things to do. The main quest can get repetitive, but the story is pretty cool. However, you shouldn't play this game just for the story, the most amazing part of this game is how open and huge it is and how many side quests and content there is. Overall, an outstanding game, it was fun playing and well worthThis game was absolutely amazing, it has great lore, lots of content and a lot of things to do. The main quest can get repetitive, but the story is pretty cool. However, you shouldn't play this game just for the story, the most amazing part of this game is how open and huge it is and how many side quests and content there is. Overall, an outstanding game, it was fun playing and well worth the money.…Expand

Best game ever. I am still playing it. It has bugs, but because it's great mod-ability, mods have fixed all of them. I played hundreds of hours without mods and patches, and I've played hundreds of hours with mods and patches. I have loved every moment.

My first truly open-world game (decided to play it after the announcement of Skyrim) that swept me off my feet despite many controversial issues as discussed by user Phlakes. I truly believe that this game, despite its years, should be at least experienced to some extent as an introduction to the Elder Scrolls series. Despite its lack of voice actors and strong NPC interactions, I feltMy first truly open-world game (decided to play it after the announcement of Skyrim) that swept me off my feet despite many controversial issues as discussed by user Phlakes. I truly believe that this game, despite its years, should be at least experienced to some extent as an introduction to the Elder Scrolls series. Despite its lack of voice actors and strong NPC interactions, I felt immersed enough to research a whole lot about the world of Tamriel and the Elder Scrolls Prophecy.…Expand

Even though this game has a few flaws it is still great. First of all this game is huge and while maybe the world is not varied enough it is still lots of fun to explore. For a game this big the graphics are great for it's time, the game is also a true RPG in the sense that it allows one to do what one wants when one wants, be who you want to be and play how you want to play and has greatEven though this game has a few flaws it is still great. First of all this game is huge and while maybe the world is not varied enough it is still lots of fun to explore. For a game this big the graphics are great for it's time, the game is also a true RPG in the sense that it allows one to do what one wants when one wants, be who you want to be and play how you want to play and has great customization for ones character be it your race, how you look, or what weapons, spells and armour you want to use. The game is also extremely long and has countless side quests for one to partake in and in my opinion holds more of the fun to be had than the actual main story. As said before the game has a few flaws namely the third person view is terrible and basically unplayable, there are quite a few glitches in the game making some quests incompletable (although one cant expect a game of this size to have no glitches what so ever ), the story was not bad but just was not that engaging, the npc's lack emotion and the voice acting is not varied enough and lastly one VERY BIG flaw that ruined a lot of the experience was the leveling system which basically says "screw you, you will never become stronger but will become WEAKER as you level up and progress or should i say DEgress through the game " this flaw most definitely must be fixed for Skyrim. pros : Very long, lots to do, true RPG elements, great game play, great graphics. Cons: Bad leveling system, unengaging story, bad glitches. Overall for it's time it is still an awesome game despite it's flaws. 8.8/10…Expand

This game is the best rpg i have played with a variety of different quests and missions. You can join many different groups and guilds. Also the game leaves you to just do whatever you want and where you want it has a decent story that could be tweaked slghtly as it is not perfect and also there are many problems i havent found any major ones to bother me alot

A phenomenal next game in the Elder Scrolls series that took everything that wasn't already great in Morrowind and made it great! You would always hit an enemy if your weapon made contact, the graphics were upped 10 fold, every NPC in the game has dialogue and most importantly... There's a new story to immerse yourself with and a new land. Tamriel! This game is very imaginative and runsA phenomenal next game in the Elder Scrolls series that took everything that wasn't already great in Morrowind and made it great! You would always hit an enemy if your weapon made contact, the graphics were upped 10 fold, every NPC in the game has dialogue and most importantly... There's a new story to immerse yourself with and a new land. Tamriel! This game is very imaginative and runs amazingly. The inventory has had a complete overhaul (among other things) and is what I would call the peak of RPG gaming available at the moment. The soundtrack to this game is unforgettable. For a taste of it try typing in Reign of the Septims in the YouTube search. That is the most memorable song I have heard in my life! This game is great and anyone who has a spare life should buy this game! After you've started, you won't be using your real life as much anymore!…Expand

I couldn't give any reason to not like this. From start your character can be created to suit your play style. ANY play style. Weather you want to be a sword swinging mage or a lightning launching thief, The Elder Scrolls IV will drag you in for hours upon hours of game play. A large, vast explorable world lies ahead for your to engage in with perilous caves, deadly towers, and sinisterI couldn't give any reason to not like this. From start your character can be created to suit your play style. ANY play style. Weather you want to be a sword swinging mage or a lightning launching thief, The Elder Scrolls IV will drag you in for hours upon hours of game play. A large, vast explorable world lies ahead for your to engage in with perilous caves, deadly towers, and sinister gateways into the planes of Oblivion.…Expand

This is the best game I have EVER played. It has hours upon hours of game play and an enriching story. There is so many side quests that you will probably not even play them all. You will find yourself always wanting to replay it and find more quests. The amount of weapons, quests, stories, lore, and good times to had to be on Oblivion. Buy it, it is the best game ever.

One of the best. To complains of bugs, yes they exist, but I've not seen a game with such scale and detail do better. If players want to complain that something doesn't work perfectly, maybe they should get up and make that perfect game themselves instead of just complaining. The backstory and freedom is great. I've never done much of the main quest, since there is so much to do all aroundOne of the best. To complains of bugs, yes they exist, but I've not seen a game with such scale and detail do better. If players want to complain that something doesn't work perfectly, maybe they should get up and make that perfect game themselves instead of just complaining. The backstory and freedom is great. I've never done much of the main quest, since there is so much to do all around the world. Maybe BioWare games have better story and dialog, but at least the Elder Scrolls games let you do things beside shacking up with every living creature in the world. BioWare does movies and cyber-intimacy. BethSoft does freedom and adventuring with a character that you make up. Instead of following the story they write up for players on who the main character is, the Elder Scrolls actually lets players make their own character, backstory, and morals. True role-playing gaming.…Expand

Objectively, I score this game a solid 6 due to its many unavoidable annoyances. It would score at 7 if the annoyances were eliminated but it is nothing like its predecessor and not as good as its successor. Oblivion had a lot of hype during development. We were promised all star voice acting, real intelligent AI behavior, and a larger landmass... well, it turns out that they were all halfObjectively, I score this game a solid 6 due to its many unavoidable annoyances. It would score at 7 if the annoyances were eliminated but it is nothing like its predecessor and not as good as its successor. Oblivion had a lot of hype during development. We were promised all star voice acting, real intelligent AI behavior, and a larger landmass... well, it turns out that they were all half truths and half lies.

There was all star voice acting but it was very limited to a hand full of characters. Everyone else was annoying as hell with repetitive comments and inappropriate tones that drove me mad 10 hours into the game. How many times did we run into a young girl with the voice of a raspy women on her death bed? Or an old man with a high pitch youngster voice? Voices were reused and assigned to characters randomly resulting in very strange combination which actually distracted from the game and immersion.

Intelligent AI behavior? Jobs and economy? Yea right. This was a pure lie. AI behavior was all scripted and none of it was intelligent by any stretch of the word. AI did not have real jobs, they just followed a scripted schedule to open at x hour and close at y hour. At z hour they ate and w hour they slept. It was lame. It was not intelligent. It was no different than any other game made as far back as the NES. How unintelligent was the AI? Well, you could kill a guard next to another guard while sneaking, and the living guard will not care. He will make a comment about a dead person and even if you uncover yourself he will just stand there. You could even drag the dead guard in front of him and he will not care. Same with any other AI controlled character in the game (not just guards). At the same time, god help you if someone in a city sees you stealing because all hell will break loose and every guard in the entire city will instantly know you are a criminal and they will all come after you at once. Lame lame lame lame. This became a major problem sometimes because unless you use the PC console commands, it could break your game permanently. AI my backside.

Larger landmass they tell us... well, the landmass was "larger" but it was mostly just the same damn environment copy and pasted over and over. The entire place looked the same. Morrowind had character and even Skyrim has some character but Oblivion was just plain and boring. It was the same no matter where you went and even ruins were just copy/pasted over and over (albeit Morrowind suffered from the same issue when it came to ruins). Bottom line, they may not have lied, but it was not as impressive as they wanted us to believe.

Aside from the annoyances above, there were a few more problems.

Level scaling... although this happens in a lot of games, in Oblivion is was not done well at all. The same enemy you faced at level will have 10x as many hit points when you are level 10 and they will look exactly the same and spawn in the same places. It killed immersion greatly because combat became mundane and unnecessarily long due to how many hip points each goblin, demon, or animal had as you leveled. The problem is that damage did not increase at the same pace as hit points so it made the player feel weaker. In Oblivion, you are much more powerful at level 5 than you are at level 20 and it killed any feeling of progression normally associated with RPG's. It clearly was not tested enough. They use similar systems in Morrowind and Skyrim but it was much better balanced. On top of that, unique weapons gained from god quests also level scaled... yes you read that right. If you do a quest at low level, you get a weak version of the rewarded weapon! And the weapon does not gain power as you level so it becomes obsolete almost instantly since they are all worse than enchanted weapons anyway. How lame is that.

Next, enchanting, spell making and itemization were all "streamlined" which we all know means dumbed down for consoles and low IQ players. Everything was strictly controlled gone was a lot of the fun we had in Morrowind like levitating around the world to explore. You can still enchant powerful stuff but it was also made much easier almost to the point that it felt unearned whereas in Morriwind it felt awesome when you were able to trap a soul and enchant even the most basic of things. In Oblivion it was very easy and felt like cheating from the get go.

Bottom line, a good game but it is no Morrowind. Too many annoyances keep it from being great but still it is better than most games you find on the shelf. It still is a fun open world game with plenty to do albeit without the sense of satisfaction associated with many RPG's.…Expand

This is the BEST game I have ever played. I bought it when it first came out however long ago and I have probably played completely through it 15 times? All with totally different characters with completely different strategy. The level of depth its incredible, a depth only matched by Morrowind, the previous entry into the Elder scrolls. This cannot be beat. "mediocre graphics?" yea myThis is the BEST game I have ever played. I bought it when it first came out however long ago and I have probably played completely through it 15 times? All with totally different characters with completely different strategy. The level of depth its incredible, a depth only matched by Morrowind, the previous entry into the Elder scrolls. This cannot be beat. "mediocre graphics?" yea my ass, the graphics are awesome even now, its still a game that I can play and not have to gripe about the graphics. If your that spoiled that this game looks bad, go watch a movie, if you want to basically play your own movie with some pretty awesome graphics, game play, quest line, re playability etc than play this game. The Add ons are pretty sweet too I have them all (I would get the deluxe edition if I were buying it). IF you dont mind graphics, play morrowind too! Its SO deep intense, and the same good things just with bad graphics. So look at the good reviews, compare to the bad ones (in number and info) and realize they are cry babies. They have their "perfect games" most of them are probably something linear and stale like crysis and cant handle the freedom of an open ended RPG.…Expand

Usually i find these sort of games to be pritty Nerdy, you know the sorts. Where you plod arround for hours trying to find some wood to construct a hovel out of. Oblivion is the exception however, and is one of the easiest to master RPG's iv played all year round.

This has to be the all time best game I have played. I hope there is a new version, soon. Ive played the game at least 6 times. If you like RPG, this game is fantastic! Play it often! From magic to awesome weapons, this game has it all! The story is very interesting, too! Even the music score was great! Excellent job 2K Games!!! Give us more like this!

Many things can be said about Oblivion. It's a very ambitious project that allows you to explore a massive world with a good level of detail despite its size. The game is an open sandbox, much like its mind bogglingly vast predecessor Daggerfall, Oblivion opts for the same feel, although it narrows down the scope of the game from several countries to 15 miles of detailed landscape. IMany things can be said about Oblivion. It's a very ambitious project that allows you to explore a massive world with a good level of detail despite its size. The game is an open sandbox, much like its mind bogglingly vast predecessor Daggerfall, Oblivion opts for the same feel, although it narrows down the scope of the game from several countries to 15 miles of detailed landscape. I think this is a definite plus as Daggerfall was far too generic at most levels, although still tons of fun if you discount the amount of game stopping bugs. Oblivion has its share of problems as well. The story is somewhat standard, with very few (if any) wow moments to it. Its art style is pretty generic and the design of the armor/weapons leave much to be desired. The combat system seems to be solid, although it isn't anything great and not even close to strategic, and the AI is a fan of suicide charges; those that don't use magic or bows will just run right up to you and chase you all the way back to the cities if they can. Normally I'd say that's a recipe for a pretty bad game, but through all this, Oblivion has a hold over me unlike most other rpgs (even Mass Effect, which I love). The game is pure fun for those who enjoy a nice big sandbox to run around in, and as far as my personal tastes go, that is perfect for me. The range of possibilities that exist for how you play through the game gives it a massive amount of replay value, along with the different types of characters you can create. Now as far as graphics are concerned, that's pretty much a no-brainer; they are gorgeous (aside from the not so great design) and never fail to amaze, while the music is well thought out, giving the world an almost dream-like quality in some areas. I have to say that I'm rarely moved by a games atmosphere/setting, but when I wander through the uninhabited areas of Cyrodill, I can't help but feel a certain tinge of melancholy and loneliness. I love this game, but to truly enjoy it you must pick up the expansion packs Knights of the Nine and the Shivering Isles, respectively. These two only add to the immense world and have kept me playing for probably over a hundred hours. The final and most important part of Oblivion on PC is the libraries upon libraries of mod content that is free to download and will extend your playing time into god knows how long. A game will always have it's bugs, there is no way to cut out all of them, especially the more open ended a game is. To me, the sign of a great game is one that can hold my attention for a long time and never feel like a chore. Something that, despite its shortcomings (and there will be shortcomings) I still keep coming back for more, despite newer and flashier titles. Even now I'm thinking about downloading some more mods and reinstalling it on my brand new cpu...…Expand

I did play Morrow Wind before. And i did enjoy Oblivion a lot. The story sucks in, RPG element is very well balanced, and it's just fun to explore the world, finding caves and looting skeletons! :) Just make sure to get some MODS - it's gonna make the game even better!

Now to review Oblivion I feel the need to try and ignore a comparison to Morrowind, so I'll view it as such. The game is a great open world experience. I've enjoyed countless hours exploring the fantastic looking forests and caves and fighting whatever fancies a fight. The combat is fun, although some enemies are far harder to kill at certain levels than others and offer no better reward.Now to review Oblivion I feel the need to try and ignore a comparison to Morrowind, so I'll view it as such. The game is a great open world experience. I've enjoyed countless hours exploring the fantastic looking forests and caves and fighting whatever fancies a fight. The combat is fun, although some enemies are far harder to kill at certain levels than others and offer no better reward. And questing is relatively interesting, although nothing groundbreaking. The concept for the leveling system is nice, it being - if you do something enough, you get better at it - which gives a great feeling of worth over just killing monsters to level anything you want. The AI is pretty linear, you can force them to make errors and then capitalise on that, allowing you to win a one on one with a juggernaut enemy without a scratch on you. Once you reach high enough skills in speed and strength or agility, you're pretty much a demi-god. The voice acting is rather limited which takes away immersion in the world, but if you can look past that you can enjoy a lot of gameplay out of Oblivion. If you want more of an authentic feeling fantasy story RPG epic I'd prefer Dragon Age Origins. But if you like the idea of an open fantasy world to just explore and do what you want, then this is perfect.…Expand

Most engaging game I've ever played. The world is immense and the things to do seem unlimited. I've gotten a lot of playability out of this game. A truly good game for me is one where I can beat it in a different way than my friends will. I love the customization and oblivion has plenty.

This game really deserves no less than a 10 and is, for sure, in my top favorites. Which is saying a lot because I don't really like "fantasy" dragons and such, type games. My friends made me play it since I was such a fallout 3 fan (which is also on my top favs, maybe even number 1) and I insisted that I wouldn't like it since it was so fantasyish, but the depth of the game... I don'tThis game really deserves no less than a 10 and is, for sure, in my top favorites. Which is saying a lot because I don't really like "fantasy" dragons and such, type games. My friends made me play it since I was such a fallout 3 fan (which is also on my top favs, maybe even number 1) and I insisted that I wouldn't like it since it was so fantasyish, but the depth of the game... I don't think I ever even finished the main quest line since I've always kept myself busy with hours upon hours of side things to do, and exploring in this vast map, and the character progression is great, I love the stat system. you use something it levels, and then you combine that with the base stat system that you can put stats in as you level. Amazing system, works kind of like how Congress and House is Supposed to, haha.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
As soon as you spawn in the first dungeon in Oblivion, you are instantly plunged into a highly detailed world of Bandits, Ogres, Daedra, and 150 other baddies as well as 800 NPC's that roam the world. Each character is like a tiny mystery, waiting to be solved. As well as the Main Quest, there are at least 500 other completely optional side quests that you will pick up on your journey. Although it has 20 something glitches, and third person mode is a glitchy flop, it is a most wonderful game that deserves a 10.…Expand

The phrase that is often used to described Bethesda's games are "free world". It's apt. It's correct. And either you like that aspect or you don't. I don't. To me, it's not an RPG. Playing a role by definition means there is some type of script. While there is technically a major thread in the game it very easy to lose it and never find it again. You can wonder aimlessly for hours.The phrase that is often used to described Bethesda's games are "free world". It's apt. It's correct. And either you like that aspect or you don't. I don't. To me, it's not an RPG. Playing a role by definition means there is some type of script. While there is technically a major thread in the game it very easy to lose it and never find it again. You can wonder aimlessly for hours. Is it fun? Kinda. But it never offers any real sense of accomplishment for me. I never feel like I'm making progress, like I make a difference in the world. I hate to give this game a five because I respect the quality of the work that went into it. But it's just not for me. If you are Bethesda fan-boy you will love this game like you loved all the others. But it's more of the same old boring crap as far as I am concerned.…Collapse

Oblivion is by far the closest I have come to playing D&D Sunday afternoons with my friends (yes, I did that, though I’m on medication now), all wrapped up in a stunning package with tens of thousands of lines of spoken dialog and good music.